Still matching the right person to the right job

IT’S been 10 years since Clare Supported Employment Service first opened its doors and while the service has grown in the past decade, its aim still remains the same – to match the right person to the right job.
On Monday, the Temple Gate Hotel was the venue for the launch of the FÁS-funded service’s week-long programme of celebrations marking 10 years of supporting employment in Clare. The service supports people with an illness, injury or disability  to secure employment.
Speaking at the celebration launch Alice O’Carroll, team leader said, “We’re 10 years in business now and we’re tried and tested. I think we’ve built ourselves a good reputation in County Clare as a service that people can depend on. Employers have gained confidence in us over the 10 years, and employees have also seen the benefits.
“As we enter a new decade in our organisation’s life, demand for the service is buoyant. We’ve seen a significant rise in our job placements rates over the last year and we have steady pipeline enquiries from companies and from job seekers.”
A lot has been accomplished by the team since Clare Supported Employment Service was first set up in 2001 by the Brother’s of Charity Clare and Enable Ireland. A successful funding application by them to FÁS led to the creation of a Supported Employment Programme in Clare, as part of a national programme roll out.
Four staff were recruited to provide countywide services from offices in Carmody Street. Now there are nine staff with offices in Harmony Row.
“We’ve achieved a lot since the early days and while our team has expanded and developed over the years, the purpose of the service has remained constant: to offer a highly professional service that is clearly focused on matching the employment needs of people with disabilities and the recruitment needs of County Clare employers,” said Alice.
She explained that both employers and employees reap the benefits from the service. “Disability is actually on the increase because the population is aging. One in three of the 50 to 60-year-old age group actually has a disability and that’s quite significant. I don’t know a business that wouldn’t want to attract more customers
I think it makes a lot of sense for businesses to look at the needs of this growing group of people. And how better to learn about the needs of people with disabilities than to actually incorporate people with disabilities in your staff and learn from them. Also people with disabilities, their friends and families recognise employers that are disability friendly, and they respond with increased loyalty.
“Also it’s been proven internationally that people with disabilities tend to stay longer in employment, they tend to be more loyal employees and absenteeism tends to be less than it would be for non-disabled people. From our service we do a very, very thorough profiling process in the pre-employment stage with people. Employers can have a lot of confidence in that we know the candidates very, very well and we know their skills and abilities. We’re in a good place to match them up very carefully with positions. That’s our primary goal, the good job match.
“Equally for the candidates looking for employment, some people need a little bit of extra support in order to get into the workplace and we help with that. I’ve seen people’s health improve, becoming much more positive. People who thought they couldn’t work and felt excluded from the workplace, now they’re working away and clocking up five and six years in the workplace. It’s fantastic to see people growing in confidence and independence. We all need to work, so it’s no different for somebody who has a disability of some kind.”
The past 10 years has seen a number of highlights for the service, including an 80% employment outcome from their Career Link project in 2007 and becoming the first FÁS-funded supported employment programme to be awarded the Q mark standard in 2009.
The service has launched a five-year strategic plan, with Alice telling us, “We’re always keen to develop and learn.”
So what does the future hold for the service? “We want to respond to the present climate by being innovative and creative in terms of ensuring that people with disabilities don’t miss out in terms of employment. We want to learn from best practice in the field of supported employment.
“One of our main aims is to make County Clare an exemplary area for employment for people with disabilities. And we want to be recognised by people with an illness, injury or disability as the best agency to go to in Clare for support and to seek employment.”
The celebration launch was co-hosted by Acist Skillnet who have been providing free training for Clare Supported Employment Service job seekers.
Other events held this week included open information mornings in Shannon and Kilrush, Acist Skillnet training; and a fundraising table quiz for Clare Crusaders.
This Thursday, there will be an open information morning in Scariff Adult Education Centre, and on Friday an open information morning at North West Clare Family Resource Centre, Ennistymon.